Roller stretcher



Dec.- 31, 1968 R. F. MORGAN ROLLER STRETCHER Sheet Filed April 27, 1967 INVENTOR. pas/5 WOAR2M Dec. 31, 1968 R. F. MORGAN ROLLER STRETCHBR Sheet INVENTOR. fa /E w/amaw Filed April 27. 1967 United States Patent 1 3,418,670 ROLLER STRETCI-IER Ruble F. Morgan, Rte. 2, Box 840, Trussville, Ala. 35173 Filed Apr. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 634,180 4 Claims. (Cl. -81) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The roller stretcher comprises an arrangement of two separate belts. The lower belt is a track belt and the upper belt is bed belt. As to the size of the rollers, they may be varied according to design, but the device is used to lift an injured or sick person from the ground or other area without picking them up, while the smaller roller reduces the height by which such person may have to be lifted.

The present invention relates to a roller stretcher operated by a crank arm, and more particularly the invention relates to a two belt roller stretcher assembly in which there are two separate belts, the lower belt being used for rolling or crawling along the floor or ground surface by the apparatus and the upper belt is used as the bed belt on which the patient is positioned and rolled about. The upper belt rolls because of contact friction throughout by it with the lower belt as is observed from the cross-sectional view of the drawings.

An object of the present invention is to provide a small upper roller assembly that is disposed for receiving a patient in which the patient is eased onto the small roller assembly and then it provides for pulling the patient onto the stretcher as the stretcher moves under him as a result of the bottom or crawler belt advancing as the crank arm is turned. The crank arm turns a worm gear to drive the lower belt, which then drives the upper belt by frictional engagement therewith.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight and readily controllable stretcher apparatus for use in hospitals, emergency cases, ambulance uses and the like.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon full consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view, shown partially in cross-section, oflthe roller stretcher of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 shows an enlarged plan elevation view in which the center portion thereof is removed or broken away.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detailed cross-sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 shows an enlarged detailed sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the roller stretcher showing the embodiments of the invention thereof,

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a roller stretcher 10 having end plates 12, 14 which may be of hollow aluminum tubing, and a pair of shafts 16, 18 disposed transvers to the end plates 12, 14 and at opposite ends of the stretcher. On the shafts 16, 18 there 3,418,670 Patented Dec. 31, 1968 are mounted large rollers 20, 22 and on these rollers there is in tight engagement therewith an endless belt 26 for providing rolling engagement with the ground or floor surface 28 on the one hand and for providing an upper frictional surface 30 on the other.

A further pair of shafts 32, 34 are disposed transverse also to the end plates 12, 14, but each one of the shafts 32, 34 is positioned more outwardly of the shafts 16, 18, respectively. On each of the smaller shafts there is a small diameter dimensioned roller 36, 38, respectively, and an endless belt 40 is tightly disposed over the smaller rollers and in frictional engagement with surface 30 on the one hand and provides a free supporting surface 42 on the other.

There is disposed intermediate the large rollers 20, 22 a belt tension adjustment tube 50 that is rotatably mounted from a shaft 52 and has an adjustment mechanism comprising a bolt and nut arrangement 54, 56 for adjusting the tensioning effect of the roller 50 and the shaft 52. I

The belt tension adjustment tube 50 rolls freely with the movement of the upper endless belt 40 as it engages surface 30 of the lower endless belt 26.

Shaft 16 may be selectively driven by a crank arm 60 having handle 62, which drives a shaft 64 and in turn drives the roller shaft 16 through a worm gear 66. As the crank handle 62 is turned, the roller 20 is driven and by the frictional engagement with the endless belt 26, the endless belt 40 is thus driven. The arrows are shown in FIGURES 1 and 6 of the directions in which the belt is driven upon a given rotation of the crank handle 62.

In FIGURE 4 there is shown the manner in which the belt tension adjustment tube 50 is displaced either upwardly or downwardly as shown by the arrow for adjusting the tension of each of the endless belts 26, 40.

Additional embodiments of the invention in this specification will occur to others, and therefore it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the appended claims and not by the embodiment described hereinabove. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A stretcher adapted to pull and lift a body onto a supporting surface comprising:

upper and lower pairs of spaced apart roller means,

support means for said roller means, said roller means being in substantially parallel relationship and rotatably afiixed to said support means,

lower endless belt means encircling the lower roller means,

substantially continuous upper endless belt means encircling the upper of the pair of upper roller means and longer than the body to be lifted, the said upper and lower endless belt means being connected to simultaneously rotate, and

means connected to the roller means to rotate the endless belt means.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein a crank arm and gearbox drive said upper roller means.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein a belt tension adjustment tube engages each of said belt means into frictional engagement with each other, and produces References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,468,055 4/1949 Gi bler 214-83.36 2,655,667 10/1953 Burkert 561 Davis 581 Richards '561' X Bovre 586 Sehiltz 21483.36

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 

